World's Christians usher in a second pandemic Christmas, as Omicron rages

COVID-19 again disrupts holiday, with flights grounded and church services canceled, but gatherings are easier than last year and billions still manage to celebrate

Billions of Christians ushered in a second Christmas under the pall of the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday.

The surging Omicron virus variant disrupted travel plans worldwide, prompted churches to close their doors and tamped down holiday spirits.

Airlines canceled over 4,000 flights on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on Saturday as pilots, flight attendants and other staff were infected or forced into quarantine.

Israel and other countries closed borders to stem the spread of the highly-infectious variant, hindering celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, believed to be Jesus’s birthplace, for the second consecutive year.

In New York, lines stretched around the block as people sought out tests for COVID-19, and a wave of storms forced evacuations on the US West Coast, capping a year of extreme weather in the region.

People gather outside the Church of the Nativity, revered as the site of Jesus Christ’s birth, during Christmas celebrations in the biblical city of Bethlehem in the West Bank, on December 24, 2021. (Abbas Momani/AFP)

US churches, including Washington National Cathedral and the historic South Church in Boston, canceled in-person services, while others planned outdoor celebrations. The US is averaging around 1,150 COVID-19 deaths per day.

European countries reimposed restrictions, including lockdowns in the Netherlands and outdoor mask mandates in Spain and Italy. France and the UK both notched record numbers of new cases on consecutive days.

It was not all doom and gloom, though, as Christmas gatherings were easier than a year ago, before widespread vaccinations.

The Pope held a traditional Christmas Eve mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, albeit with a masked and scaled-down crowd of 2,000 worshipers.

Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve Mass, at St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, December 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Israelis crowded into the northern city of Nazareth, where Christians believe Jesus lived, for a cheery holiday procession. Drummers, bagpipers and scouts paraded in Bethlehem despite the scant crowds.

Bearded Santa Clauses dispensed gifts in Iraq, greeted shirtless beachgoers in Uruguay, swam in a Brazilian aquarium and cheered on NBA players in the US.

In the US, President Joe Biden attended First Lady Jill Biden’s book reading at a children’s hospital in Washington, the first time a president attended the traditional holiday reading with his spouse.